Good government, at all levels, requires rational discussion of the facts leading to the adoption and implementation of well thought out policies.

The imperative is that our elected representatives focus on representing the electorate and not engage in warfare between themselves

Who Am I?

I’ve lived:

on the Lower North Shore for forty years;

since 2006, in Milsons Point

I’ve become increasingly frustrated by the ever-widening gulf between our community and those that represent us. A gulf that’s made the fight to protect and add to our community assets (Luna and Harry’s Parks, Wendy’s Secret Garden, and the Sydney Harbour High Line) a hard slog – it just should not be this way.

I reached the point – complaining about it needed to give way to doing something about it …

Why Did I Stand For State Government and North Sydney Council?

At the state level our representatives, with time, focus on the internal machinations of their party and disconnect from those that they represent.

The by-election was set for early April 2017. The decision to stand was taken four weeks out from the election. The message I took from receiving more than 9% of the vote was that a lot of people in our community felt ignored by main stream parties.

At the local government level North Sydney Council had become dysfunctional, a creature of factions.

A State Government Inquiry confirmed this. The infighting amongst the Councillors had led to approximately $1 million of ratepayers’ money being spent on legal proceedings, excessive use of the code of conduct complaint process, and an AVO application.

The NSW State Government took all by surprise with the welcome announcement that it had abandoned “amalgamations”.

The Council Election was set for early September 2017. I stood in the Wollstonecraft Ward as part of the CommUnity 1st team. The message I took from being elected with more than 20% of the vote was that the community still felt ignored by its representatives.

CommUnity 1st :

is an Independent group;

aims to return the Council to community management and get North Sydney moving again; and

What Do I Stand For?

My Vision: Planning and Urban Growth

We are told that our population is to grow by nearly 40% over the next twenty years.

State Government and Council planners simply must look beyond the next election.

It’s not rocket science – consider, for example, what Dr John Bradfield achieved for NSW commuter transport in the first quarter of the last century by building most of the suburban train network.

It’s not smart for State Governments and Council:

To sit back and watch traffic volumes grow on Military Road and then express surprise when gridlock occurs;

To alter the required parking requirements from minimum car parking spaces to maximum car parking spaces and then wonder why developments have inadequate resident parking and residents are forced to park on the streets;

To think that decades of planning inaction and ineptitude can be solved by painting exotic lane markings and erecting complex road signs;

To claim accuracy in population forecasts and then be shocked when overcrowding occurs in the schools and race around erecting portable classrooms.

To ignore the axiom that open space is vitally important in the development and sustainability of communities

Wollstonecraft Ward Issues

North Sydney Pool – Revisit the earlier plans, review the financial cases for each proposal, select one, secure funding and call for tenders.

Luna Park

Cliff Street. State Government’s completion of park.

Acquisition of remaining adjoining cliff top land leased to Luna Park (Multiplex).

Require compliance by Luna Park with planning codes and have the 1998 Plan of Management made prescriptive.

Release of 2016 ‘secret agreement’ between State Government and Luna Park (Multiplex).

CBD – develop a Masterplan for the North Sydney CBD including specific areas, for example

Potential use of Denison St, Spring St and Little Spring St for cafes / food outlets. This will require cooperation of the existing major developers currently with projects in progress and integration of a design with the future development of the air space above the Victoria Cross Metro station.

Purchase and redevelopment of Miller Street properties adjoining ‘Monte’ bought by the State Government.

Discussions with the owner of the MLC building on the corner of Miller and Pacific Hwy with a view to the potential combined development of this site with the air space above Victoria Cross station.

Inclusion in future developments of community / entertainment space.

General Policies covering all three wards

Amend the DCP to provide parking at the rate of at least one space per residential unit.

Secure potential sites for car parking stations.

Fixed percentage of the windfall profit resulting from rezoning or arising from approval of non-compliant applications.

Bicycles

Safe segregation of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians

Licensing of bicycles to allow identification of the cyclist.

Regulations for bike hire – North Sydney Council to provide “bike docking” facilities at the cost of the bike hire company.

New Years Eve – charge for visitors to Managed Access areas to offset costs of security and cleaning.

Boat storage – review of Report currently underway.

Plebiscites in future Council elections – establish a transparent process for selecting questions for a plebiscite.

Lost parkland due to State Infrastructure development. The State Government to fund replacement parkland.

HMAS Platypus: Provide community facilities.

EDUCATION

Retain and acquire land for educational purposes.

MEDICAL SERVICES

Conduct an audit of the delivery of health services to ensure they are aligned with community needs and delivered in a cost effective way.

AGED CARE

Areas above the Metro station at Crows Nest may be retained for much needed aged care facilities.

URBAN PLANNING

Plan sustainable cities recognising the importance of green spaces to human and environmental health. Keep public land off developers’ tables.

WENDY'S GARDEN

Wendy’s Secret Garden should permanently be designated as a public space. The Government should commit to retaining valuable public spaces such as this.

HERITAGE FLEET

The Heritage Fleet needs a home – a place to moor some of its amazing vessels that’s accessible to the public. Berrys Bay, with its long association with the maritime industry and connection to the Sydney Harbour Highline offers a perfect spot and it’s available now.